Warnings and Instructions

1aDo not boast° about tomorrow°, For you bdo not know° what° a day° may bring° forth°.
2 Let aanother° praise° you, and not your own mouth°; A stranger°, and not your own lips°.
3 A stone° is heavy° and the sand° weighty°, But the provocation° of a fool° is heavier° than° both° of them.
4 Wrath° is fierce° and anger° is a flood°, But awho° can stand° before° jealousy°?
5 Better° is aopen° rebuke° Than° love° that is concealed°.
6 Faithful° are the awounds° of a friend°, But Ideceitful° are the bkisses° of an enemy°.
7 A sated°Iman°IIloathes° honey°, But to a famished°Iman° any° bitter° thing° is sweet°.
8 Like a abird° that wanders° from her nest°, So° is a man° who bwanders° from his Ihome°.
9aOil° and perfume° make° the heart° glad°, So a Iman’s° counsel° is sweet° to his friend°.
10 Do not forsake° your own afriend° or byour father’s° friend°, And do not go° to your brother’s° house° in the day° of your calamity°; Better° is a neighbor° who is near° than° a brother° far° away.
11aBe wise°, my son°, and make° my heart° glad°, That I may breply°° to him who reproaches° me.
12 A prudent° man° sees° evil° [and] hides° himself, The Inaive° proceed° [and] pay° the penalty°.
13aTake° his garment° when° he becomes° surety° for a stranger°; And for an Iadulterous° woman° hold° him in pledge°.
14aHe who blesses° his friend° with a loud° voice° early° in the morning°, It will be reckoned° a curse° to him.
15 A aconstant° dripping° on a day° of steady° rain° And a contentious° woman° are alike°;
16 He who would Irestrain° her Irestrains° the wind°, And IIgrasps° oil° with his right° hand°.
17 Iron° sharpens° iron°, So one man° sharpens° another°°.
18 He who tends° the afig° tree° will eat° its fruit°, And he who bcares° for his master° will be honored°.
19 As in water° face° [reflects] face°, So° the heart° of man° [reflects] man°.
20IaSheol° and IIAbaddon° are bnever° satisfied°, Nor° are the ceyes° of man° ever satisfied°.
21 The acrucible° is for silver° and the furnace° for gold°, And each°b[is tested] by the praise° accorded° him.
22 Though° you apound° a fool° in a mortar° with a pestle° along° with crushed° grain°, [Yet] his foolishness° will not depart° from him.

23 ¶ aKnow° well° the Icondition° of your flocks°, [And] pay° attention° to your herds°;
24 For riches° are not forever°, Nor° does a acrown° [endure] to all° generations°.
25 [When] the grass° disappears°, the new° growth° is seen°, And the herbs° of the mountains° are agathered° in,
26 The lambs° [will be] for your clothing°, And the goats° [will bring] the price° of a field°,
27 And [there will be] goats’° milk° enough° for your food°, For the food° of your household°, And sustenance° for your maidens°.

Observations of selflove,

1 ¶ Boast¹ª not thyself²² of to morrow;º² for² thou knowestºª not² what² a dayº may bring forth.ºª2 Let another manºª praiseºª thee, and not² thine own mouth;º a stranger,º and not² thine own lips.º3 A stoneº [is] heavy,º and the sandº weighty;º but a fool'sº wrathº [is] heavierº than them both.º²4 Wrathº [is] cruel,º and angerº [is] outrageous;º but who² [is] able to standºª beforeº envy?º

of true love,

5 Openºª rebukeº [is] betterº than secretºª love.º²6 Faithfulºª [are] the woundsº of a friend;ºª but the kissesº of an enemyºª [are] deceitful.ºª7 The fullº soulº loathethºª an honeycomb;º but to the hungryº soulº every² bitter thingº is sweet.º8 As a birdº that wanderethºª from² her nest,º so² [is] a manº that wanderethºª from his place.º²9 Ointmentº and perfumeº rejoiceºª the heart:º so [doth] the sweetnessº of a man's friendº by hearty¹ counsel.º²²10 Thine own friend,º and thy father'sº friend,º forsakeºª not;² neither² goºª into thy brother'sº houseº in the dayº of thy calamity:º [for] betterº [is] a neighbourº [that is] nearº than a brotherº² far off.º

of care to avoid offences,

11 My son,º be wise,ºª and make my heartº glad,ºª that I may answerººª him that reproachethºª me. 12 A prudentº [man] foreseethºª the evil,º [and] hideth¹ª himself;² [but] the simpleº pass on,ºª [and] are punished.ºª13 Takeºª his garmentº that² is suretyºª for a stranger,ºª and take a pledgeºª of him for² a strange woman.º14 He that blessethºª his friendº with a loudº voice,º rising earlyºª in the morning,º it shall be countedºª a curseº to him. 15 A continualºª droppingº in a very rainyº dayº and a contentiousºª¹ womanº are alike.ºª16 Whosoever hidethºª her hidethºª the wind,º and the ointmentº of his right hand,º [which] bewrayethºª [itself]. 17 Ironº sharpenethºª iron;º so a manº sharpenethºª the countenanceº of his friend.º18 Whoso keepethºª the fig treeº shall eatºª the fruitº thereof: so he that waitethºª on his masterº shall be honoured.ºª19 As in waterº faceº [answereth] to face,º so² the heartº of manº to man.º20 Hellº and destructionº¹ª are neverº full;ºª so the eyesº of manº are never² satisfied.ºª21 [As] the fining potº for silver,º and the furnaceº for gold;º so [is] a manº toº his praise.º22 Though² thou shouldest brayºª² a foolº in a mortarº amongº wheatº with a pestle,º [yet] will not² his foolishnessº departºª from²² him.

and of the household care.

23 Be thou diligent¹ª to knowºª the stateº of thy flocks,º [and] lookºª² well¹ to thy herds.º24 For² richesº [are] not² for ever:º and doth² the crownº [endure] to every¹ generation?º25 The hayº appeareth,ºª and the tender grassº sheweth¹ª itself,² and herbsº of the mountainsº are gathered.ºª26 The lambsº [are] for thy clothing,º and the goatsº [are] the priceº of the field.º27 And [thou shalt have] goats'º milkº enoughº for thy food,º for the foodº of thy household,º and [for] the maintenanceº for thy maidens.º